Revelation 5

Lesson #11

Looking into Heaven, continued

Revelation 5:8; Psalm 33:2; Revelation 13:2 and 15:2

Revelation 5:9-11 = Revelation 14:3-4; Leviticus 25:30, 54 Revelation 7:9 Isaiah 56:7

When we see God for the very first time, we will see Him as Jesus the LORD, the Son of God, 2 Thessalonians 4:16-18 and 1 John 3:2. After this we will see Him as the Lamb of God and then as the Lion of Judah, but He will always be the LORD Jesus to us. In this thought we will behold God in all of His glory. We will know God more personally, in that our capacity for knowing Him will not be hindered by sin or evil and deity will exhibited in full celestial spheres.

The depth and the wisdom of God is unsearchable Romans 11:33 and Psalm 145:3 but from Revelation 5:8; 15:2 we can understand that each of us will have a harp and will know how to use it. I believe that the harp will not be like those we see on earth because these harps are called “The harps of God” Along with the harps in verse 8, the twenty four elders have been given bowls, thus in this moment of rapture, (don't forget the moment) for us the things we witness are new to us, but not to the twenty four elders or the angels. So we should be observing at least two significant things.

1. Music is available in heaven 2. The harps are the instruments of God's choosing and every saints will have one.

Praise and worship is to be a part of our everyday experience here on earth and is to prepare us for the coming eternal praise and worship. There is something else too. Notice that each of the elders have bowls full of various odors. Also that the odors are the prayers of saints. Not only does God hear our prayers, but He also keeps them. Prayer is a history of our relationship to God. Look at it like this. When we visit someones home, one of the first things you notice is all of the pictures collected over the years of loving experiences or poses of the people who are in the past or present. God has our name and He knows us, but what He treasures is the sweet smelling aroma of prayerful fellowship with Him. In these vials or bowls are the sweet smells of answered prayer, and the bitter sweet smell of those prayers that will be answered as a result of the rapture. Those would be prayers that can only be answered by God at this time; Judgment on the world. Those that usually end with; “Even so come LORD Jesus”

Praise and worship is an important function of the church of Jesus Christ and we should not be late when church begins. This is the praise and worship time.

Revelation 5:9-11 = Revelation 14:3-4; Revelation 7:9 and Isaiah 56:7; Psalm 33:3

The word redeem in verse 9 is the Greek word “agorazo” and it literally means to buy as if someone were going to the market and you asked them to buy you an apple. Jesus on earth had no earthly possessions and no heavenly ones either. The only possession He had was His Blood. (His Life). This is the basis of this scene in heaven. The sacrifice of Christ is so powerful because His blood covers (notice what the verse says) peoples out of every kindred, tongue, people and nation. The saved and the unsaved are covered in the blood of Christ, but only those who accept His purchase of them are saved. The song is significant too. John has heard many Psalms and Hymns in his day, but this song is a new one. The Deed to the universe has been redeemed and returned to God the Father and He gives it to the Lamb who is worthy and as the Lamb takes the deed, a new song is sung and the Lamb becomes the Lion.

Verse 10. Redemption means this. We as believers in Christ have been justified by His Blood, sanctified by His grace and elevated to a glorified position of true dominion. In heaven, we will be restored to the position that Adam threw away. He was to be king over a kingdom, through sin he lost it. Also restored is our position of being a priest, a position that means that we have direct access to God as Adam originally had. You may be asking this question: “When will this be?” Rev. 20:4 and 21.

Verse 11. Just how many unfallen angels are there? And what should they look like? God has really prepared us for this, but many of us just take it for granted. There are thousands of animals and we have seen the most of them, but if you have seen one species you've not seen them all. So it is with bugs, birds, fish and whatever else there may be. For the most part all of theses created beings are pleasant to the eyes and even when they are said to be friendly, they can be over powering in strength. Unfallen angels will be like this.

One of the characteristics of the book of Revelation is the concept of “new things”. Have you noticed this?

There is the new name: Rev. 2:17

The new song: Rev 5:9 and 14:3

The new heavens: Rev. 21:1

The new earth: Rev. 21:1

The new Jerusalem: Rev. 3:12 and 21:2

The promise of all things new: Rev. 21:5

Revelation 5:12-14 = Daniel 7:10; Deut. 33:2; Luke 2:13-14 and Romans 14:11.

As the LORD Jesus receives the Deed to the Universe all of creations expresses praise and worship. Both in heaven and earth and this is an important element of truth that is often overlooked. Notice Verse 13. Heaven, earth, under the earth and the sea and all that are in them. To understand this is beyond our ability but we can get close. Romans 8:18-23.

We need to think about this a bit deeper. From the ground level the earth looks to you and me as a very large place. But it is becoming more and more crowded. Not only is it crowded with people, but it is crowded with problems and complexities that overshadow the end times that Christ in the gospels told His disciples to expect. Matthew 24 and 25.

From the surface of the moon the earth looks small at 240,000 miles away. Yet, it supports the population of, at the time of Christ, about 250 million people, now the population is over four billion. Now add those under the earth, the fish and all the animals, the angels of heaven and you have the largest worship service ever. All of the praise and worship will be directed at Jesus who is worthy to open the scroll. One seal at at time. We will see that each time a seal is opened over the next seven years that there will be praise and worship like this as each phase of the seven year judgment goes on.